Hand brake



March 28, 1939. G. F. ENDICOTT HAND BRAKE Filed Feb. 1, 1936 Irwerufar Patented Mar. 28, 1939 1. 2,152,376

I UNITED STATES PATENT, oFFIc "George F. Endicott, St. Paul, Minn., assignorto W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware l Application February 1, 1936, Serial No. 61,972 10 Claims. (01. 254-149) This invention relates to improvements in hand Figure l. Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure l brakes. but showing the parts in at different position. One object of the invention is to provide in a Figure 4 is a broken, elevational view of Figure 2, hand brake mechanism for railway cars, includlooking from left to right in said last named fig- 5 ing a rotary member on which the flexible eleure, the end link of the brake chain being shown 5 ment or chain leading to the brake mechanism in verticalsection. proper of the car is wound, simple and efficient In said drawing, my improvements are shown means fixed to and rotatable with said rotary as embodied in a vertical staff type of hand brake member for quickly taking up the'chain during mechanism, the lower end portion of the brake lo the initial rotation of said member. staff being indicated by Hi. The vertical brake Another object of the invention is to provide stafi I0 is mountedon the end of the car and is a quick take-up means of the character specified provided at its upper end with the usual operatin the preceding paragraph which may be easily ing hand wheel (not shown) for rotating the attached to the usual winding element of a hand same. Asis common in this type of brake mech- 15, brake mechanism without disturbing or disasanism, the staff is locked a a ns rotation in u sembling the parts of said mechanism, Winding direction in a well-known manner by the A still further object of the invention is to usual locking dog cooperatingwith ratchet means provide a quick take-up means for a hand brake on the staff, the dog ratcheting over said ratchet mechanism, comprising a member mounted on meanswhen the staff is rotated in chain winding the rotary chain winding element of the brake direction and being manually disengageable from 20 mechanism and having aprojecting or eccentric the ratchet means to per cro t the portion upon which the chain is wound during fi q y releasing the brakes. The lower the initial application of the brakes to effect end o t Staff to is rotatably mounted in a rapid take-up of said chain and quickly bring supp rtin bracket pen ng from the b m the brake shoes of the brake mechanism into 'ofthe car, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the 25 engagement with the car wheels. bottom portion of the car being indicated by 12 Yet another object of the invention is to proinsaidfigures. As illustrated, the bracket H is in vide a quick take-up mechanism of the charthe form of a stirrup-having a horizontal section acter set forth in the preceding paragraph where-- I 3 p v With a bearing Opening through in the quick take-up mechanism or member is which e lower end p r of the Staff In p 30 provided with a winding surface or guideway for jects. ,The staff ID, has an enlarged cylindrical the chain of gradually decreasing radius which portion 'lli adjacent to the lower end thereof and directs the chain onto the winding element to he lowerv x rem y of Said Staff is of reduced be wound on the latter during the final tightendiameter, as indicated at i6. The reduced poring operation of the brake mechanism. tion i6 is journaled inthe opening l lof the sec- 35 A further object of the invention is to provide .,tion [3 of the stirrup H and extends through a quick take-up member which may be readily the latter. A cotter pm I! engaged through the attached'to the rotary chain winding element of lower extremityof the staff lll'prevents upward a brake mechanism, together with means. for displacement of the same. g

40 securing said member in position on said wind- Myimprov dq i -up m ans p openwhich 40. ing element, wherein the securing element also is in the form of a castin I Secured to the serves to anchor the chain to the winding staff llland is mounted on the enlarged portion element. .15 thereof. As willbe understood by those skilled Other objects of the invention will more clearin this art, the brake chain, which is indicated ly appear from the description and claims hereby I9, is connected to the brake mechanism of the 45 inafter following. car in the usual manner to properly operate the In the drawing forming a part of this specibrake shoes. Although my improved quick takefication, Figure 1 is a horizontal, sectional view, up means is herein illustrated as applied to the partly broken away, through the vertical stafi winding element of a brake mechanism of the and the supporting bracket 'of' a hand brake vertical staff type, it will be evident that the 50 mechanism of a railway car, illustrating my iminvention is not limited to this particular design provements in connection therewith, the section of brakes, but may be employed equally well with corresponding substantially to the line l-| of any other type of brake'melch'anism having a Figure 2. Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view, rotary chain winding element.

corresponding substantially tothe line 2 -2 of The casting 18 has a vertical opening 20 there- 55 through in the form of a relatively wide slot which is open at one side, as indicated at 2 I. The slot 20 has a curved vertical inner wall 22 extending through an arc of substantially 180 degrees and snugly fitting about the enlarged portion I5 of the shaft I0. The side walls of the slot 20 form, in effect, jaw members which embrace the portion I5 of the brake staff. As will be evident, the opening 2I of the slot 20 is of suflicient size to accommodate the enlarged portion I5 of the staff I so that the casting I8 may be readily engaged over said enlarged portion of the staff in mounting the casting thereon.

The casting I8 has a chain guiding and winding portion I22 thereon which is eccentric to the axis of rotation of the staff I0, said eccentric portion being to one side of said staff, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. The chain guiding portion I22 is defined by spaced top and bottom flanges 23 and 24 and a connecting wall 25"between said flanges. The wall 25 is preferably curved in a vertical direction, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, said wall 25 merging with the inner portions of the flanges 23 and 24. The wall 25 presentsfaces 26, 21, 28, and 29, the central portion of the faces 21, 28, and 29 being disposed substantially tangent to circles concentric with the cylindrical portion I of the staff I0. The connecting portions between the faces 26, 21, 28, and 29 are rounded off, as indicated at 30-30. The central portion of the face 26 is substantially radial to the axis of rotation of the staff I0. The face 26 merges at its outer end with the face 21. The face 21 is spaced a greater distance from the staff I0 than the face 28, with which said face 21 merges. The face 29, with which the face 28 merges, terminates closely adjacent to the surface of the cylindrical portion I5 of the staff I0 to properly direct the chain to be wound on said staff. The top guide flange 23 projects from and is substantially coextensive with the faces 21, 28, and 29, as shown most clearly in Figure 1, while the bottom flange projects from and is substantially coextensive with the faces 26 and 21.

-At opposite sides of the opening or slot 20, the casting I8 is provided with upstanding portions I30 and SI, the portion I30 being in the form of a flange and the portion 3I being in the form of a lug. The flange I30 forms a continuation of the wall 26 and has the inner faces thereof of the same contour as the corresponding wall portion of the slot 20 and is in vertical alignment therewith. As shown most clearly in Figure 1, the curved portion of the inner face of the flange I30, which corresponds to the curved section of the wall 22 of the slot 20 and is in alignment therewith, embraces the portion I5 of the staff through an arc of substantially 90 degrees. The lug 3I, which isopposed to the flange I30, is spaced outwardly from the corresponding side wall portion of the slot 20 a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the end link of the brake chain I9, so that said end link may be accommodated between the section I5 of the staff I0 and said lug. The opening between the lug 3| and the section I5 of the staff is preferably of such a size that the endlink of the chain is snugly clamped between the staff and said lug.

The casting I8 is secured to the upper portion of the enlarged section I5 of the staff III by a bolt 32, which extends through aligned openings in the staff I0, the flange 30, and the lug 3f. The bolt 32 also extends through the opening of the end link of the chain I9, as shown most clearly in Figures 1, 3, and 4, thereby also anchoring the chain to the brake staff. The casting I8 is reenforced by bosses 33-33 at the bolt openings to add strength to the parts and also provide seats for the head and nut of the bolt.

In applying my improved quick take-up means to a brake stafi, the casting I8 is first engaged over the portion I 5 of the staff and the bolt openings thereof brought into alignment with the bolt opening of the staff. The brake chain I9 is then placed in the .proper position with the opening of the end link thereof in alignment with the bolt openings of the staff I0 and casting I8, and the parts are secured to the staff by the bolt 32 by engaging the latter through the openings of the staff "I0, the casting I8, and the end link of the chain I9. As will be evident, by providing a jawlike attaching portion for the quick take-up casting I8, the latter may be readily applied to the staff I0 without disturbing the brake mechanism or requiring the removal of any of the parts thereof, it being necessary merely to engage the jaw portion of the casting over the staff to .place the same in position thereon.

In the operation of applying the brakes, the staff I0 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, thereby also effecting rotation of the quick take-up member I8 from the position shown in Figure 1 toward that shown in Figure 3, thereby winding the chain on the eccentric portion I22 of the member I8 and rapidly taking up the slack in the chain I 9. During this action, the chain is folded against the guide faces 21, 28, and 29 of the member I8 while being guided between the flanges 23 and'24. The chain is thus directed into engagement with the winding section I5 of the staff I0 during the further rotation of said staff. While the staff is thus being further rotated in chain winding direction,

the chain is wound about the section I5 of the staff below said member I8, thereby effecting final application of the brakes with greatly increased power.

From the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing, it will be evident that, I have provided simple and efficient take-up means for hand brakes which may be readily applied and secured to the winding element of the mechanism. As will be further evident, I

have in addition provided an arrangement inwhich the take-up means or device, together with the brake chain, may be secured to the winding element of the brakes in one operation, and in which a single locking element serves to secure both the take-up device and the brake chain to;

I have herein shown and described what I.

now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary winding element having a winding surface concentric with the axis of rotation thereof; of a quick take-up member on said element having a winding portion projecting beyond the winding surface of said element, said quick take-up member having a vertical opening, said opening extending entirely through one side of said member topermit entrance 01' said element sidewise into said opening; and means for securing said member to said element.

2. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary chain winding element having a winding surface concentric with the axis of rotation thereof and a chain leading to the brake mechanism proper of the car; of a quick take-up member mounted on said element having a winding surface having a portion thereof projecting outwardly of the winding surface of said element, said take-up member having a laterally inwardly extending opening defined by laterally spaced upstanding portions at opposite sides of said element in embracing relation to the latter; and means for securing the end link of the chain and said member to said element, comprising a bolt extending through said element, the end link of the chain, and said upstanding portions.

3. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary chain winding element having a winding surface concentric with the axis of rotation thereof and a brake chain leading to the brake mechanism proper of the car; of an eccentric quick take-up member mounted on said element; an upstanding lug on said member at one side of said element and spaced therefrom a distance to accommodate the end link of the chain therebetween; and securing means extending through said element, end link, and lug for securing said member and chain to said element.

4. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary chain winding element having a winding surface concentric with the axis of rotation thereof and a brake chain leading to the brake mechanism proper of the car; of an eccentric quick take-up member mounted on said element, said member having a portion embracing said element; an upstanding lug on said member spaced from said element and closely embracing the end link of the chain between said lug and element; and a clamping bolt extending through said first named portion of said member, said link, and said lug for securing said member and chain to said element.

5. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary Winding element having a winding surface concentric with the axis of rotation thereof and a chain leading to the brake mechanism proper of the car; of an eccentric quick take-up member mounted on said element, said eccentric take-up member having a chain guide thereon having a portion thereof radial to the axis of rotation of said element; and means for securing said member and chain to said element and clamping the end link of the chain to said element adjacent the inner end of said radial portion of said chain guide.

6. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary winding element having a winding surface concentric with the axis of rotation thereof and a chain leading to the brake mechanism proper of the car; of an eccentric quick take-up member mounted on said element, said eccentric member having a chain guide thereon defined by top and bottom flanges and a guide face between said flanges, said guide face having a portion at one end thereof radial to the axis of rotation of said element and a part at the other end thereof substantially merging with the outer surface of said element; and means for securing the end link of said chain to said element adjacent the first named end of said chain guide face.

'7. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary, cylindrical chain winding element and a chain leading to the brake mechanism proper of the car; of means for securing the end link of the chain to one side of said cylindrical element, said chain and end link thereof extending tangentially to the cylindrical surface of said element; and an eccentric take-up member mounted on said element having a chain guide thereon having the leading end portion thereof radial to the axis of rotation of said element and parallel to said end link of the chain.

8. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary chain winding shaft; of a separate quick take-up member mounted on said shaft, said take-up member having a winding surface projecting from said shaft and eccentric to the axis of rotation of said shaft, said member including a laterally opening jaw portion embracing said shaft on opposite sides; and fastening means securing said member to said shaft.

9. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a rotary chain winding shaft; of a separate winding member mounted on said shaft, said member having a winding surface thereon projecting from said shaft and eccentric to the axis of rotation of said shaft, said member including a laterally open jaw having spaced jaw members embracing said shaft on opposite sides; and securing means extending through said Winding member and shaft.

10. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with arotary chain Winding shaft; of a separate Winding element having a winding surface projecting from said shaft and eccentric to the axis of rotation of said shaft, said element having a laterally opening jaw comprising spaced jaw members embracing said shaft; and a securing device extending through said jaw members and element for fixing said element to said shaft.

GEORGE F. ENDICO'IT. 

